New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-09

a man after all than his swindling partner.
"The Silent Workman" contains the material
for short magazine story. but 1t is too slight 1or
expansion into a book. Nearly all the incidents
are overwritten whereas such tale could only
4 be made telling by simplicity and directness'
None OF Mr.. Besant's stories is tedious, buo
some of them are better than others, ana Inc
World Went Very Well Then is not IN uie
authors happiest vein. There is in the deVeioP
ment Of the narrative certain dlsagreea"i"
effect due in the main to the repusive turn t'>eh
by the character of the hero, Jack as ne grows
older. His treatment of poor Bess, indeed Is
almost q libel upon the sailor temperament
for though seamen said In song and story 10
take on the flckleness OF the ITSELF surely no
genuine tar ever so swiftly and completely forgot
a sweetheart rs Bess in this story was forgotten'
AS to the punishment which fell upon the 1allh
less lover. doubtless it was terrible; TOT pehs III
command of a noble frigate, and In pursuit Oh
Frenchman who was already q sure prize, Captain
Jack moved by sudden frenzy did with his own
hands haul down his colors and cowardly sur
render All this together with the recreanU
captains gallant rccapture Of his own ship, is
dramatic enough, nay even melodramauc; Duo
somehow in attempting to employ these semi
SUPERNATURAL effects the author seems to lose
touch with reality Jack is not lovable person
at his best Bess is beautiful and constant
virago. Old Brinjes, the One-cyed apo'
who has been pirate and on the whoie Preie''
sailing under the black flag to dispensing pre-
scriptions is decidedly the STRONGEST character III
the book. and the scenes in his little back pariof
are among the BEST There is quaint iaVor ID
the cynical philosophy Of the old rascal wmch Is
ENJOYABLE MIR. Besant is thoroughly at home In
his descriptions of life in the old lhames-s iue
town, and his minor touches, such as the account
of the old penman that of the club etc, often are
clever enough to make the reputation OF less
gifted writer. II we are exacting with him IL Is
because he has set his own standard so hlgh Ills
last novel is certainly not poor. but IL Is pelo"
his best, and to that extent Disappointing.
"TalSen by Siege" is a story calculated to mis-
lead the aspirant for fame and fortune who enters
the ranks of journalism in quest of both. III re
lates the experience of young man who, coming
| TO New-Yorlx with few months practlce In
country newsr aper Office, procures an assignment
in the city department OF metropolitan journal
speedily writes himself into notice attracts inc
attention Of his august chief, Is suddenly put
| In charge of the London correspondence ana
| in about two years finds himself managerhl-cIheI
Of the paper, with a salary OF ten thousand dollars
q wear IL cannot be said that nothing resembling
this ever happened As matter Of fact some
thing very like it has happened, and greatly TO
tho establishment of most of the parties concerned
Rut il is not fair to the young Journalists OF The
! future TO give them the impression That such
| fruit grows ON every bush. There is another
! feature in the story which we do not IKE Inc
soaring Young hero falls in love with singer anu
this SINGER the publishers take pains TO INFORM
| the critics. is intended for Miss Cara Louise
Kellogg Now there must always be question
us to the propriety OF introducing living persons
even when they are in a manner public characters
l,,t tbny n
married is so introduced, and is made one OF the
parties to a REGULAR courtshp. ending as prosperous
| court ships do il seems to us that there can no
longer be n doubt as to the exceeding bad taste
Of the performance. This is taking the least
warrantable OF liberties with the most sacred part
Of private life for public singer is entitcd
! TO some privacy. The liberty is made more EN-
| phatic and offensive by the indelicacy WIN winch
| the fact that it has been taken is thrust oei"te
the general eye Whether this last touch was pun
on with or without the authors knowledge or
consent we do not know, but 1t is not credhablc
| 10 the responsible agent The story Is not want
| mo I'm bright ness and some power OF description
| though the knowledge OF practical Journalism
possessed by the writer rs clearly superhcial an"
detective Its merit, however, is sensibly dimih'
shed by the faults we have mentioned.
Time has greatly softened Miss Braddon. In
oct her growing aversion from the sensational
| form or ncuon which gave her nOtoriety is A.
times so strong as almost to carry her INTO inc
reaction of duness In "Mohawks she does not
altogether ESCAPE this inirmity, though perhaps
the fall is attributable rather to the diihcuities
of the task under aiken than TO the decline oil tle
writer's powers OF storytelling. Moha"'S -
a Little Buttercup story placed in the time OF
Queen Anne q story of mixed babies and all That
comes of the mixing Miss Braddon has here
, | al Thackeray'6 GROUND and not 10 DcE
advantage She has done her conscientious best
She has studied the period. and drawn upon the
Letters and journals which are standard authority
and di ped into history, and tried TO reproduce
the coffee house population with its appropriate
discourse and manners But there is no vitality
in the work when all is said. IL Is clever
enough maronette business, but IL Is
nothing more. The attempt TO put HE
into these puppets, too, makes the action
drag and on the whole gives an unreal feature
To the narrative IL was a dangerous experiment.,
in truth and it has not turned out very well
In "Between Two Loves Miss Barr has pro
duced a much better novel than The Last OF lhe
Macallisters.D and yet the latter was decidedly
GOOD This is a Yorkshire story with plenty Of
local flavor and what is much more important
and satisfactory with excellent representation OF
. the character which lies behind the dialect. The
uictures of the prosperous and noble hearted OLD
, millowner and Of the sweet woman upon whose
opportunity he waits so patiently and tcnderiy'
, are really admirable There is homely natural
ness about the conversation Of these simple people
which is refreshing, and which speaks well for the
skill of the artist for there few things harder
to reproduce than this effect. The quarrel be-
: tween Eleanor Aslxe and her husband the squire
is pi,iful though 1t seems to have arisen out OF
an incompatbility OF temperament which boded
i'll for Permanent agreement even after reconcli-
, atjon Eleanor, however, Is not the heroine.
This is Sarah the Midland, who is tormented 80
( many wears "between two loves that namely for